Butterfly Caught
by PartyPoison
Summary: Daryl and Leah's relationship had always been rocky. She was the typical Southern Gem and he was the typical rough, bad boy. But the apocalypse has thrown them together once again with nothing but each other to hold onto. Past mistakes and the new stress of survival...how long will they manage to last? Daryl/OC
1. One Way Ticket

***Hey guys! So sudden inspiration hit and I decided to start a new Walking Dead story. For those of you who haven't checked out my other stories, I have two Walking Dead stories both currently being written, Safe and Sound and Wicked Games. Definitely check those out if you can! This story will probably get the least attention but I'll try to update as frequently as I can. Hope you enjoy (:**

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**Butterfly Caught**

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**Chapter 1: One Way Ticket**

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Daryl let out a breath as he lifted the dead deer carcass onto the back of his old pick-up truck. It landed with a loud bang as its heavy weight collided with the metal of the bed. With his latest catch firmly tucked away, he swiped at the sweat forming at his hairline. He bent down to pick up the crossbow leaning against the tire of his vehicle before slamming the tailgate shut. He walked around the truck and quickly slid into the driver's side.

His truck roared to life as he shoved the keys in the ignition and he was on his way back to his town soon enough.

When he had left early this morning for his normal Saturday hunting trip, Merle had been knocked out on the couch, shirtless with beer bottles littered around him. Some were still half-full, tipped over and spilling onto the already stained carpet. He had left feeling a bit angry because he knew he would end up being the one who cleaned it all up.

But there was not a damn thing he could do about it. Merle was Merle and he would do whatever the hell he wanted without consideration for anybody. It was just how he was. And Daryl frankly did not have the energy to put up with his temper tantrums most of the time; so he let him be and stuck to cleaning up his brother's messes. It's what he had been doing most of his life.

He was shifted from his thoughts as he drew closer to the town. He hadn't gone very far this time around. It was a wonder he had even managed to nail a deer so close by. Usually he only came across them on his overnight hunting trips where he would venture way into the woods. But today he had felt some urge to stay close by.

He had spent most of the day hunting though as the sun was now starting to lower as evening set in.

A car, turned over with smashed windows in the middle of the road caught his attention as he slowed down his truck. He pulled his truck to a stop and cut the engine before slowly getting out. His chunky hunting boots cracked some loose rocks on the side of the road and he walked closer to the car.

"Are ya'll all right in there?" He called out.

He heard a low groan and stepped closer. Some blood covered the road next to the driver's side and he bent down to see if the person was okay. There was someone still buckled up by the seat belt, holding him into the upside down car. The person let out another low noise from the back of his throat.

"Hey." Daryl said. "Imma' try and go get help, okay? Think ya' can hold on till then?"

Suddenly the man turned his face up and the sight nearly made Daryl topple backwards onto his ass. His irises were completely void of color as veins ran through his entire eye, all bloodshot and irritated. There was a wound on the side of his head that had ripped off a whole chunk of flesh above his ear. Dry blood covered the entire area. The man began snapping in Daryl's direction, like a rabid animal. Daryl let out a noise of disgust as he backed up slightly. The man started to growl louder, becoming more desperate as his arms shot out, grasping in his direction.

"What in the hell?" Daryl muttered to himself.

He stood up as the man continued to groan and make a fuss. His skin was pale with blue veins visible under the transparent flesh. The smell of rotting flesh and decay made Daryl cover his nose with his hand. He backed up, wanting to get away from the thing. He decided to leave it, go back to town and send the cops back this way. He didn't want to risk helping the crazed man who looked like he wanted to take a bite out of him.

He got back into his truck and quickly began making his way back to town.

Once he was in the town's limit, his eyes widened as he took in the mess in front of him. Cars littered the street, some with the window's busted in, others festering dead people, most of who Daryl recognized. His lips pulled down in confusion, not really believing his eyes. He weaved his truck through the clustered road and into the trailer park where he lived with his brother. He could hear screams and a few gun shots. People were running around in the streets looking frazzled and frightened.

With more urgency, Daryl ran inside the trailer looking for Merle. As soon as he was inside his brother was yelling commands his way.

"'Bout time ya' get yer ass back home." Merle shouted. "Pack yer shit, bro. We gotta' go."

"What the fuck is goin' on?" Daryl question as Merle threw some of his belongings into a large bag.

"People gone fuckin' nuts." Merle grumbled. "Eatin' each other and some shit. Now quit standin' around like some retard and get yer shit together. We gotta' get outta' here."

Daryl didn't question him for the moment, remembering the guy in the car back on the road. He grabbed one of the bags he took on his overnight hunting trip and began to pack as fast as he could. He threw in some clothes, his hunting gear, his knives, and a tent. Most of the things he took on camping trips were already in his truck. He had never really unpacked from last weekend's adventures. He grabbed his gun from his nightstand and shoved it into his waist band.

When he was finished, Merle was already outside. His brother threw his stuff into Daryl's truck before getting on his motorcycle.

"Come on, boy." Merle hissed. "Let's get outta' here."

Daryl looked around for a moment. He saw one of his neighbors screeching her head off as some man limped after her. He froze in his spot as he saw the man tackle her to the ground, sinking his teeth in her neck. The woman cried out as her flesh was yanked in his teeth. Daryl looked back at his brother who was watching the scene as well.

"What the fuck are those things?" Daryl shouted.

"Does it matter?" Merle replied. "Get yer ass in yer truck and lets go before we end up like that ole' cooze."

Daryl didn't argue as he slid into his truck, quickly staring up the engine. He pulled his truck out onto the main road but instead of heading for the highway, he began to backtrack into the town. He couldn't leave without her…he couldn't.

He heard Merle put his bike into action before he caught up to Daryl's side.

"Ey! Whadda' ya' doin'?" He screamed at his brother over the roar of the two engines. "Highway's other direction."

Daryl didn't answer his brother as he stared straight ahead, eyes determined. Merle's own eyes narrowed as realization set in.

"Do not tell me ya' goin' back for that girl." He shouted as he kept his bike in line with the truck. "She's probably dead, bro. We gotta' go!"

"I'm ain't leavin' without her." Daryl finally answered.

"Fuckin' dumb shit." Merle muttered under his breath. "Swear if ya' get us killed, I'll kick yer ass in hell."

But he continued to follow his brother as he pulled up to a small, yellow house on the other side of the small town. He pulled his truck to the side road and quickly got out. There were a few of those things wandering around and the sight of the living flesh and the smell of the dead deer in the back of his truck, made them rabid. Daryl grabbed his crossbow and shot two of them, nailing them right in the eye. They both collapsed forward.

Merle got off his bike and loaded his gun quickly.

"Jus' go get the bitch." He yelled to Daryl. "I'll cover out here. Make it quick."

Daryl gave his brother a nod before going to the house. He pounded on the door for a minute but decided against waiting for an answer and just yanked the door opened, not surprised that it was unlocked. He closed the door behind him. The house was quiet, too quiet for Daryl's liking. He kept his crossbow steady as he began to creep through the house.

"Leah!" He called out.

He was not met with an answer. Letting out a frustrated breath, he headed towards the bedroom. He yanked the door open, leveling his crossbow to shoot quickly if need be. When nothing attacked him, he entered the room swiftly. A packed duffle bag and suitcase was sitting in front of the bed. He walked to them and grabbed a piece of paper sitting on the top…it was a one-way plane ticket to Texas. He frowned as he set it down.

"Leah?" He yelled out again. "Ya' in here?"

"Daryl?" He heard someone breathe out and the door on the other side began to creek open. He held up his crossbow but it soon lowered as the blonde stepped out from the bathroom, a gun hanging loosely in her hand, looking completely frightened.

She looked just like the last time he had seen her. Her long, blonde hair fell in waves down her chest and her sun-kissed skin glistened slightly in the dim room. Her bright blue eyes seemed to glow in the light as her delicate features contorted together as she stared at the man in front of her. She was dressed in the same red, plaid shirt and jean shorts that she had been that night at the bar and her feet were stuffed in brown, worn cowboy boots.

"Leah." He sighed, walking towards her. He pulled her in a quick hug, letting out a relieved breath but she didn't return it. He backed away slightly, his chest feeling heavy.

"What are you doin' here?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"We gotta' go." He ignored her question. "Merle's waitin' outside. Get yer stuff and let's go."

"Daryl-" She began but he quickly shushed her.

"Not now, Leah." He grunted. "We needa' get outta' here."

He stepped away from her and grabbed her already packed bags from the floor. He walked out of the room and he heard her light footsteps following closely behind him. He threw the door opened and Merle turned around at the noise.

"'Bout fuckin' time." His brother groaned. "Let's get the fuck outta' this town."

Merle had managed to sweep the small street clean of those things but more were beginning to come because of the noise. He heard Leahlet out a small gasp from behind him as she caught side of the people walking around, blood dripping from their mouth, some half decapitated. With his free hand, he yanked onto her wrist, pulling her towards his truck. He threw her bags in the back with the deer.

"Nice to see yer fine ass still alive, girl." Merle chuckled from beside her as Daryl turned to send a glare towards his brother. Merle lifted his hands in a small surrender.

"Get in." Daryl commanded and she quickly got into the passenger side. Merle hopped onto his own bike as Daryl started up the truck. The end of the street leading to the highway was thankfully cleared as those things began to filter into the street from the other side. He stepped on the gas and the car accelerated towards the highway. They needed to get out of their quick before the growing herd got to them. Merle followed after them just as fast.

The truck was filled with a tense silence as both Daryl and Leah refused to say a word. It wasn't until they were safely on the highway, the town fading into the distance when she finally spoke up.

"What's going on?" She asked as she looked up at Daryl with frightened blue eyes.

Daryl glanced down at her for a moment before focusing back on the road.

"No fuckin' idea." Daryl blew out some air. "Got back from huntin' and people were eatin' each other. Don't know what's makin' them so crazy but no need to stick 'round a find out. Police or sumthin' will put an end to it, I guess."

"I just heard screams and gunshots." Leah let out with a shaky breath. "I-I didn't know what to do."

The truck went silent again, tension still abundant as ever. Daryl could hear her heavy breathing as her body shook slightly from fright. He wanted so badly to reach over and comfort her but it had been so long…it wasn't his place anymore.

"Why'd you come back for me?" Her voice was barely louder than the silence.

Daryl's fist clenched on the steering wheel, "I couldn't just leave ya' there, Leah."

"Why not?" She asked bitterly. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Daryl's grip tightened even more, "Leah, don't start. Not now."

Leah's gaze turned into a glare as she stared at the man, "Should've just left me there. No sense in bringin' me with you when you're just gonna' drop me the second we come across some other girl who catches your attention."

"How many times ya' gonna' bring this shit up, Leah?" Daryl hissed.

"I don't know." She bit. "Until you finally tell me what was goin' on in that god damn head of yours."

"Look, I told ya' before and I'll tell ya' again. It was a fuckin' mistake." Daryl grunted. "How long ya' going to hold that over my head for?"

"I didn't have to hold anything over your head." She snapped. "You left me, Daryl. I didn't have to do shit."

Daryl turned his head to glare at her briefly, "Don't sit there and pretend like ya' weren't gonna' do the same. I saw that plane ticket. Ya' were gonna' leave without even telling me."

"I'm not yours anymore. I don't have to tell you anythin'." She fought. "And you wonder why I was leaving? My dad died, Daryl…and then I lost you. I didn't have anything left in that fuckin' town. Of course I was goin' to leave. Nothing keeping me there anymore."

Daryl let out a heavy breath before unclenching his tense fists. She was completely right. She wasn't his anymore, as much as that pained him. She didn't need to tell him anything. But he couldn't believe she would have just left without saying anything to him…

Daryl had known Leah most of his life. She had lived on the opposite side of town as long as he had remembered. Being three years younger than him, they hadn't spent much time together during their younger years.

But he remembered the first time he had talked her. She was only eighteen; had managed to sneak her way into the local bar with a fake ID. She was causing a stir in the bar with her young, toned body-long legs and ravishing curves, tousled blonde hair and smoldering blue eyes. Daryl had never been one to approach women and he stuck by that. But she had seemed unable to keep him off her sights and it wasn't long before she had slid into the seat next to him, striking up a small conversation.

She had been kind, funny and all-around stunning…nothing like that typical girls who threw themselves his way. They had always been trashy, small town girls who slept with anything willing to get in between their legs. But Leah had been different. She had been planning on leaving for college in the fall, going to some university in Texas where her mom lived. But fall rolled around and she never left. With her dad losing his job months before and her mom's new husband who refused to allow her to send a penny her daughter's way, she wasn't able to afford a semester there. Instead, she picked up a job as a waitress at a local diner and had stuck around for the next five years.

The girl shifted next to him, waking him from his thoughts. He ran a hand down his face as he realized it was already nightfall. He saw the small, hidden road leading to one of his favorite hunting spots. He turned his truck onto the road and continued to drive a few miles into the deep woods. He pulled the truck to a stop and cut the engine before stepping out. Merle pulled up behind him and pulled the key from his bike, quieting the thing.

"Think we put enough distance between us and that town?" Daryl asked.

Merle nodded a bit, "'Bout time we stop and set up a camp. We can continue forward in the mornin'. Ass was gettin' tired of ridin' anyways. ."

He heard his truck roar to life and glanced up to see Leah fumbling with the radio. All she was met with was static.

"Ain't gonna' get much of a signal up here." Daryl called out to her. "Gotta' wait till we get back onto the main road."

He saw her shoulder's hunch forward as she turned the car off.

Daryl returned his attention to the stuff piling in the bed of his truck as he heard Leah step out from the truck. He turned around to push his tailgate down, sliding some of the bags out from inside. The deer carcass was still there and Daryl planned to cook as much as he could tonight. Come tomorrow, it would all go to waste anyways. Leah moved closer to his side, crossing her arms over her chest as she felt unsure of what to do.

"Think ya' can start a fire while me and Merle set up the tents?" He asked, not looking at her.

"Yeah." Leah answered, before walking off feeling relieved that she had an excuse to get away for the moment.

Daryl watched her begin collecting rocks. When they had been together, he had taken her camping a few times around. He had taught her the basics of how to set and make a fire. He knew he could trust her with the task and went back to getting out the things they would need. It didn't take him and Merle long to set up the two tents. They had been doing it for years. Leah was still collecting some wood for the fire so Daryl set his focus on cutting and gutting the deer. It was a little hard to see in the light but with his experienced, it didn't take him that much longer than it would have.

Once he had finished, Leah had managed to set up a small fire. It was enough to cook the meat but not large enough to draw attention from smoke rising above the tree if any of those things had made their way up here. Daryl doubted they would. He figured the police or military had already taken care of the problem. They could probably go back tomorrow morning but he would try and tune in a radio station and go off of that. For now though, they would stay here for the night.

Daryl began to cook the meat as Leah sat on the floor next to him, her legs curled into her chest. She watched as Merle grabbed some things from his bag; her eyes catching onto the bright orange pill bottles.

"He started again?" She asked Daryl quietly.

Daryl looked at her before following her gaze to see his brother with his large clear zip-lock bag full of various pills.

"'Bout a month ago." Daryl answered.

Leah frowned at the news. She rubbed her arms as the air slightly grew colder. It was only August and Georgia was still very hot and humid. But with her nerves on the end from the day's events, she couldn't help it as her body shivered.

"Cold?" The man next to her asked, his voice rough and scratchy like it had always been.

"A little." She replied.

Daryl shrugged off the jacket he was wearing and held it out for her to take. She looked at it for a moment but didn't take it from his hands.

"Daryl-" She began to protest but Daryl shushed her.

"Just take the god damn jacket, Leah." He hissed.

She swallowed heavily as she glanced at him for a second. Her hand slowly reached out and grabbed it. She put it on, sliding her slender arms in. It smelled like him…the scent latched onto her skin and swirled around her. She felt her body relax slightly because of its effects.

Daryl observed her in his jacket. It reminded him of the time they had been together; all the times he had seen her wearing his clothes. His favorite time had been the morning after the first time they had slept together. She had thrown on his large white t-shirt. It had hung loose on her lean frame, falling to her upper thighs. She had looked so sexy. He remembered lying in bed, just watching her as she moved around. He wished he could go back to that moment but it was long gone.

The meat was soon cooked and the three sat around in silence as they ate their food. Merle would glance at them every now and then, smirking when he recognized his brother's jacket on her.

"Surprise ya' came with us, baby girl." Merle teased. "Thought ya' wanted nothing to with my brother. Not that I blame ya'."

Daryl glared at his brother as he chewed on his meat.

Leah brushed some hair from her face, "Wasn't like I had much of a choice."

"Coulda' stayed back and became one of them geeks. Runnin' round with half a brain and a large appetite for some meat." Merle smirked.

"You're right. I should have." Leah smiled. "Would've been much better than sittin' around with this thing."

She gestured toward Daryl as Merle let out a little laugh. Daryl gave a huff, not feeling surprised at her words. Merle flicked a piece of meat at him. Daryl dodged it as his glare increased.

"Don't get yer panties in a bunch, Darylina." Merle joked. "We're only teasin'."

Daryl shoved the rest of his meal into his mouth before standing up.

"I'm goin' to sleep." He said coldly before walking off to his tent. Merle rolled his eyes at his brother's behavior.

"Ya' sure ya' don't wanna stay in my tent, baby girl?" Merle leered. "I'm such I'll be much better company than that pussy."

It was then that Leah realized there were only two tents. She frowned but didn't know why she had expected to have a tent all to herself. She hadn't brought one with her. If the bed of Daryl's truck wasn't covered in deer blood, she probably would've debated sleeping on that. But it didn't seem that she had much of a choice of where to sleep. It was either Daryl's tent or Merle's. And as much as Merle made her laugh on occasion, she was not about to willingly get in the tent with the pervert.

She shook her head at his suggestion with a light smile before standing up.

"I think I'm going to head off, too." She said. "You should get some sleep as well, Merle."

"Yeah, yeah." Merle said, waving her off. "Have fun cuddling up with my brother."

Leah felt her cheeks turn a light pink as she walked off. She quickly ducked inside the tent. It was dark and she could hardly see anything. She shrugged off Daryl's jacket before sitting on the cot hesitantly. She felt a little unsure of what to do with herself.

Daryl turned over to look at her for a moment before whispering, "C'mere."

And just like that, Leah allowed herself to be folded into his arms. She curled up against him and her head lightly fit into the crook of his neck. His muscular arms pulled her closer until her leg fit in between his own.

Leah frowned slightly as she closed her eyes. She wanted to be mad at him still, wanted to pull away and sleep as far away from him as she possibly could. But she couldn't bring herself to move away from his warm form. Somehow she always ended up like this…tucked away in his strong arms despite everything that was going on.

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**Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please drop a review and let me know what you think! Writing this was really a spur of the moment thing but sudden inspiration hit me and I couldn't resist. Safe and Sound will still have a priority, then Wicked Games and then this story. I'll try and update all three as much as I can. I should have more free time after this week though! Thanks again and love you all (:**


	2. Old Memories and Past Mistakes

***Thank you to everyone who review/favorited/followed! Really appreciate it guys! I'm so sorry it took so long to update but I hope you enjoy the new chapter! First flashback scene and some information on the conflict between Daryl and Leah! Enjoy (:**

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**Butterfly Caught**

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**Chapter 2: Old Memories and Past Mistakes**

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When Leah woke in the morning, Daryl was already gone from the tent. She let out a breath of relief, glad the awkward situation had been avoided. She lay on the cot for a few minutes. She could still smell him, feel the warmth from where he had been sleeping. Her heart gravitated towards the warmth and scent, but she pulled her body away. She had to stop doing this to herself. Daryl had been the cause of her hurt and suffering for so long. Yet every time she had been pulled back to him. She couldn't keep doing this. She was only going to get more hurt each time, she realized. Daryl was like a poison that seeped into her body and no matter how many times she tried to cleanse it away, its presence always stayed in her veins until she crept back to him.

She shook herself from the thoughts figuring it wouldn't do well for her if she continued to focus on the man who had broken her heart.

She noticed that her suitcase had been thrown in the corner of the tent under one of the netted windows. The heat was already settling in, even though the sun was still rising beyond the horizon. It was incredibly humid and Leah could feel the blonde strands of her hair sticking to the sweat beginning to glisten on her forehead. She moved over to the suitcase and unzipped it. Everything was neatly packed and she grabbed a tank-top and a pair of jean shorts from the pile. Looking out the window, she could see Daryl sorting through a few supplies in his backpack. Merle was nowhere to be seen so she figured he was still sleeping.

With no attention on her, she began to change. She unbuttoned the dirty jean shorts she had on from the night before and replaced them with the darker ones from the suitcase. She quickly unbuttoned the plaid shirt she had been wearing and tossed it to the ground. Picking up the tank-top, she began to slip it over her heard when a voice made her freeze.

"Damn girl, why didn't ya' tell us ya' was puttin' on a show?" Merle yelled.

She quickly pulled the shirt down to cover herself before rolling her blue eyes at the man standing in line with the window. She was use to Merle's antics and it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before. He had walked in on Daryl and Leah one time when she had spent the night at their house. It had been incredibly embarrassing and he brought it up every moment he could to watch her cheeks turn bright red from the memory.

"Leave her alone." Daryl growled from his spot by the burnt out fire pit.

"What?" Merle sniggered. "Not up fer some sharin'?"

"There's nothing to be shared." Leah bit before Daryl had a chance to reply.

He gave her a hard look which she fought with her own narrowed eyes.

Merle observed their exchange before smirking, "So does that mean I getcha' all ta' myself?"

This time it was Daryl who got the first word in with a hiss, "Lay off it, Merle."

"Didn't realize ya' were so pissy this mornin', Darlena." Merle laughed. "On yer period again?"

Leah could see the anger stirring in Daryl, recognizing the look on his face. She cut into the conversation before a sibling fight would break out. She wasn't in the mood to deal with one.

"Do you think we can head back to town now?" Leah asked no one in particular. "The police or something should have everything controlled, right?"

Daryl went back to sorting through his stuff as Merle muttered something about pigs and taking a piss before walking away. Daryl grabbed a dirty rag from the bottom of his pack and starting to clean his hunting knifes that were still decorated in deer blood.

"Figured we'll pack up and get back to the main road. Test the radio and see if there are any reports." Daryl answered. "Best to know what we're gettin' into before we decide to go back."

Merle came back to the group, wiping his hands on his pants. Leah looked away, feeling a bit grossed out.

"Come on, girl." Merle called out to her. "Go pack up my shit fer me since ya' ain't doin' much but standin' around admirin' my brother."

Daryl tensed at his words.

"And what are you going to be doing if I'm packing up your stuff?" Leah huffed, not eager to do anything for the man.

Merle cocked his gun and slid a knife into the waistband of his pants, "I'll keep watch. Make sure none of them geeks sneak up on us and have some breakfast."

He took a place at the base of the camp. It was clear that he wasn't doing much and he made up the excuse to keep watch simply because he was lazy. But Leah knew better than to argue with Merle. So with a bit of frustration and anger pooling in her stomach, she walked off to his tent which was farther in the woods than Daryl's. She went inside and rolled up the sleeping bag on the floor. Luckily, that was about all she had to do because they had only spent the night there. She dragged his bag out of the tent and placed the rolled up suitcase next to it. She figured she could start taking the tent apart now that it was empty.

With her back to the woods and her focus on the tent, her mind drifted back to Daryl. He was always thinking one step ahead of everyone else, always had a plan for things. Despite his explosive temper and shifting moods, he was never irresponsible. Impulsive on occasion, yes but he always seemed to know what he was doing. He prepared for the worst. Of course, sometimes he was blind sighted but he was always quick on his feet to adjust to anything that was thrown at him.

Suddenly, she felt something grab onto her long hair and jolt her backwards. A scream escaped her mouth before she could control herself as she landed on the ground from the unexpected attack. She felt something hard slide over her body and opened her eyes to see the revolting, decomposed face of one of those things gnawing its teeth in her direction. With another high-pitched squeal, she tried to push its heavy body off as tears of fright began to pool in her eyes. But it was too heavy and she felt her arms give slack as it continued to fight against her.

Before she could even blink, the thing went limp against her body as its head crashed down against her own. She let out a sob as it was suddenly pulled off of her, an arrow directly through its skull. Daryl was at her side instantly, yanking her from the ground as he began to look over her franticly, running his hands across her skin to feel for wounds.

Leah held her hands against her chest, tears streaming down her face from the fright.

"Are ya' hurt?" Daryl's rough voice asked. "Did it bite ya'?"

Leah was frozen still, shock settling in. When she didn't reply, he grabbed onto her shoulders and shook her, panic in his wide eyes.

"Answer me, damnit." He yelled. "Are ya' hurt?"

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_Leah felt a small smile paint itself on her face as her body sunk down further in the large tub; hot water coating her body. It had been a stressful day at work. The diner never seemed to catch a break and she had been on her feet all day serving people. A particularly nasty set of rowdy construction workers had come in and had bothered her for what seemed like hours. They kept dropping their silverware to make her bend down and pick it up, keep harassing her with perverted jabs and one had even managed to slap her butt on the way out. She couldn't complain though because her boss was a forty-year old pig who was exactly like them. And she desperately needed that job. So she kept her anger to herself. _

_But now she was completely and utterly relaxed. The lights in the dingy bathroom dimmed to create a more peaceful environment and the lavender bubbles put her mind at ease with their smell. Her dad wasn't home. Ever since he lost his job, he would hang out every Friday at the local bar and ease his stress away with alcohol. Not that he had the money to do so. She knew that she would be getting a call from the bartender in a few hours telling her to come collect her father and pay for his tab. _

_She would get mad of course. She'll probably scream at him tomorrow for it. He'll be apologetic but next Friday the same events would occur all over again. _

_She felt her body slide down further at the thought, the bubbles covering her from chin down. _

_But right now she wouldn't think about that._

_She would just relax. Tilt her head back, take a few deep breaths, close her eyes and-_

_*BANG BANG BANG*_

_Several heavy knocks on the door made her jump up from her sprawled position, bubbles, soap and water splashing all over the white tiled floor. She nearly slipped as she slid one leg out of the tub. She grabbed hold of the edge and steadied herself as she slowly got out of the tub. The knocking persisted, making her roll her eyes. She was praying to God that it wasn't the police bringing her father home after a bar fight like three weeks ago. She grabbed her towel from the counter and wrapped it around her torso; it's warmth covering her to mid-thigh. _

_She folded the edge tightly and walked through the small house to the front door where the knocking was still racking the house. She was thankful that she hadn't started washing her hair yet because then she would look like a completely mess._

_Letting out a breath she yanked the door open. Her mouth dropped open in shock when she was not greeted by the police but a heavily bruised, beaten and bleeding Daryl. His cobalt eyes rose from the floor of the porch to meet her own. He was breathing heavily and she looked around him to see his truck hazardly parked in the drive way. _

"_Daryl?" She breathed but he just adverted his eyes and pushed past her into the house. _

_She shut the door firmly behind him and placed a small hand on his upper arm, guiding him to the couch in the living room. He sat down, shaking her arm off. She let a frown cover her face as she stared down at the man. Slowly, she snaked a hand under his chin and tilted his face up to see the damage. _

_His eyes caught her's once again before looking away. _

"_Daryl, baby, what happened?" She prodded gently. _

"_Merle." Daryl answered so quietly she barely heard him._

"_Merle did this?" Leah gasped. _

_Daryl suddenly pulled his face from her grasp and stood up. Leah was surprised for a moment and looked up at him in confusion. He grabbed her by the upper arms and tried to push her out of the way. _

"_I shouldn't have come here." He grunted but she pulled her arms from his hold._

"_Daryl, just calm down. You're hurt." Leah said, holding the towel closer to her body. _

_He started to walk towards the door but she latched onto his wrist. He whirled around, pulling away as if he had been burnt. His eyes were full of fire and Leah couldn't help but feel a bit scared. But looking closer, she recognized the fear behind his eyes. He was like a wounded animal, untrusting and aggressive. She felt her chest collapse with a breath. _

"_I'm not hurt." He growled._

_He took off towards the door again and Leah trailed behind him, letting go of the towel when she realized it would stay up on its own. _

"_Daryl, just stop for a moment." She yelled but he didn't turn around._

"_This was a mistake." He said lowly. "I can't be here."  
_

_Leah felt at lost of what to do. Here was Daryl, the man who had swept her off her feet last year that night at the bar. The man she was slowly falling for. The man who had protected her endlessly, who picked her up from work when her father showed up and stole her car, who paid for her meals when all her money had been used up for paying the house bills or supporting her father's drinking tirades, who walked her to her door every night just to give her a head-spinning kiss…this was her Daryl. But now he was broken, beaten up and frightened by his brother. She knew this wasn't the first time. She had seen the scars, knew of his father's abuse when he was a child. But she didn't know Merle ever laid his hands on him. The thought made her see red, but she tried to stay calm for him sake._

"_I'm not going to hurt you." She said weakly, but the words made him freeze in his spot. He slowly turned around, eyes still untrusting but she felt a bit more confident. _

_She walked closer to him and lightly stroked his bicep, trying to calm him down._

"_Daryl, just let me take care of you." She continued softly. "Please, I just-"_

_Daryl pulled away again but this time he walked back towards the couch and plopped down, putting his head in his hands. Leah let out the breath she didn't know she was holding in and walked back to the couch, relived. She lightly ran her hands threw his hair._

"_Baby, what happened?" She asked again._

_Daryl let out some air from his nose, "Merle started usin' again. Ya' know how he gets."_

"_It's never been this bad." Leah stated._

_Daryl scoffed and looked up at her, "It's been worse." _

_Leah felt another frown cover her face and she went to grab another towel from the cabinet in the hallway. She walked to the small kitchen, floorboards creaking under her steps and soaked the towel in hot water. When she found herself in front of Daryl again, she bent down, wiggling herself in between his thighs. She lightly began to clean the blood from his face, grimacing every time he winced. _

"_Ya' don't have to be doin' this." Daryl murmured. "I can take care of myself."_

"_I know." Leah sighed. "But I want to."_

_Daryl went silent again as she finished cleaning up his face. Once the towel was completely stained red, she tossed it onto the coffee table but remained in her crouched position in front of Daryl. Now that the blood was gone, a forming black eye was visible as well as several bruises on his jaw line. He had a cut just at his hair line that was still bleeding a little but beginning to clot up. He had another, larger cut down his cheek bone that was already clotted. She ran her fingers lightly over his cheek and his hand came up to meet her's, lacing his calloused fingers with her soft ones._

"_Where is he now?" She asked._

"_Fucker passed out." Daryl answered, his eyes narrowing. _

"_You can't let him do this to you.." She said, leaning her forehead against his._

"_Ain't like I gotta' choice." He grunted. "Ya' know how he is when he's all methed up."_

"_I know, baby, I know." She sighed. _

_Daryl pulled back from her just a little to look at her._

"_Would ya' stop callin' me that?" He said. "I ain't a baby."_

_Leah felt a smile replace the frown on her face. _

"_Yes you are." She joked, pressing a quick kiss to his rough lips. "You're my baby."_

_A sinister expression replaced Daryl's grimace as he grabbed onto her and effortlessly tossed her onto her back on the couch next to him. He found a place in between her legs, yanking her hands up above her head. Her face melted from a surprised look to breathless in seconds. The towel had become undone slightly and had ridden up her thighs because of his hard body._

"_I think yer mistaken, girl." He smirked. "Yer mine."_

_Once his lips claimed hers, everything she had been worrying about seconds ago disappeared._

* * *

"Leah, baby, come on." Daryl pleaded.

Leah shook herself from her thoughts and looked up into his smoldering eyes.

"I'm fine." She said, her voice shaky. "I'm fine."

Daryl looked unconvinced but his brother's presence made him loosen his grip on the blonde girl.

"What all this screamin' 'bout?" Merle spat. "Ya'll wanna' ring the dinner bell any louder?"

Daryl whipped around, pushing his brother back with a heavy force. Normally Merle would be pissed but if anything, he looked shocked.

"What the hell, Daryl?" He grunted, dangerously.

"Yer suppose to be keeping watch, ain't ya'?" Daryl hissed back.

Merle looked around to see the dead body on the floor along with a teary Leah.

His eye's narrowed at his brother, "Ain't ma' fault yer bitch got attacked. Maybe ya' should keep her on a leash."

Daryl looked like he wanted to retort, but the look on his brother's face stopped him in his tracks. Instead he shouldered his crossbow and turned around to face Leah.

"I'll finish up here." He said. "Ya' go back to the truck and stay in there till I get back, ya' here me?"

Leah nodded quickly, still too shaken up by the encounter to form any type of response. Daryl seemed content with her answer and began to take down the rest of the tent. Leah nervously ran a hand through the hair that had almost gotten her killed and began to walk back towards the truck.

Merle bumped her shoulder when she passed by him.

"Ya' alright?" He asked, though his uncaring tone contrasted the words.

She looked up towards the older man who refused to meet her eye. She nodded slowly, wiping at her tears.

"I'm okay." She said softly and continued on her way to the truck.

Merle followed her back to the truck and only left once she closed and locked the door behind her.

* * *

Once they were back on the road, Leah sat in the passenger seat, resting her head against the cool glass. The radio had been turned on for about ten minutes now but all that was coming through was static. Because of the attack this morning, Daryl had decided it wasn't safe to go back into town. Instead, him and Merle had decided on staying a night at the abandoned cabin they had found on one of their many hiking trips and trying to get Daryl's truck's radio to work. Leah of course, was not allowed to have any say in what they were doing. In fact, the moment she had opened her mouth, Daryl had waved her off.

Which was why she was in a sort of pissy mood right now.

"Ya' didn't always use to be this quiet." Daryl finally said, breaking the ice.

Leah gazed at him for a moment before rolling her eyes up towards the sky.

"Are you referring to before I found out you cheated on me or the months we spent yellin' at each other afterwards?" She bit, still leaning against the glass.

She could feel the man's sharp look the moment the word's slipped out of her mouth. But she was far past the times when all she worried about was keeping him happy.

"Look Lee-Lee-"

"Don't call me that." Leah snapped, sitting up straight with renewed anger.

Daryl grunted before grabbing her upper arm, keeping his left arm steady on the steering wheel. She tried to pull out of his grasp but his hand only tightened around her bicep.

"Leah, I'll explain myself to ya' until my face goes blue but you ain't ever gonna' listen." Daryl said.

Leah finally pushed his arm off, crossing her own.

"Yeah, I get it, Daryl." She replied. "I told you I loved you and you freaked out. I get it. You aren't the first guy to react that way. But I didn't think you would cheat on me, Daryl. Hell, it would have hurt less if you had just broke up with me."

Daryl's face softened at her words, "I never meant to hurt ya', Leah."

"What did you think I'd feel?" Leah growled. "Excited? Happy? Maybe you thought I'd even jump in and then you wouldn't even have to go behind my back to sleep with someone else."

"I didn't sleep with her." Daryl bit back.

"Does it even matter anymore?" Leah hissed.

"Well if you hadn't told me that you-." Daryl shouted, "that you.."

But he couldn't even bring himself to say the words.

"That I what, Daryl?" Leah yelled. "That I loved you?"

"Ya' know how I feel about that word." He grumbled.

"I know how fucking immature you are." Leah fought back.

"Oh now I'm the immature one?" Daryl shouted. "Ya' didn't even give me a chance to explain myself!"

"You didn't have to!" Leah snapped. "Daryl, I saw you with your tongue down her throat. That doesn't need much of an explanation!"

"Look, I was…scared, alright?" Daryl replied, quieting down as he spoke with uncharacteristic insecurity.

"Scared of what?" Leah replied. "Tellin' me you didn't love me back? I'm a big girl, Daryl. I can handle it. You didn't have to go cheat on me."

Leah let her resolve crumple as a wave of hurt washed over her. She bit at her lip, trying to suppress her tears. She thought she was far over this by now…crying over Daryl. But it seemed no matter how much she tried to forget and move on, she couldn't. Daryl was her everything and she was still in love with him no matter how much she tried to push those feelings away. But she wouldn't let herself crawl back to him.

Daryl glanced over at the blonde in his truck. He could always tell when she was upset. She would blink rapidly as tears began to form in her eyes, her cheeks would turn pink, her little nose crinkled up as she bit at her bottom lip. Leah was hurting and he was causing it. He felt his muscle coil up as a bitter taste entered his mouth. He never wanted this. He missed the old times they had together before he made his stupid mistake that cost him the very thing in his life that he always wanted to hold onto.

Dixon's didn't fall in love. At least, that's what Merle had taught him since he was a boy.

But more importantly, no one falls in love with a Dixon, specifically Daryl. He had heard those words many times during the numerous beatings from his father. He would never amount to anything, he wasn't worth the shit on the bottom of a homeless man's shoe and no woman would ever, ever care about him. He had grown up hearing those words. But then Leah came along and she brought with her a new light. She made him feel things he had never felt before.

And then those three words had left her lips and everything had come crashing down. He didn't know how to deal with it. So he never replied to her. Instead, he got wasted at the bar trying to cope with his own realization that he was in love with her too. He wasn't made for love. And he knew she would leave him soon enough like everyone else in his life. And he wasn't ready for that. He didn't want that.

So he ignored his feelings and drank himself away in the dingy bar. And then she had walked in. Katie White. The girl who he had hooked up with numerous times in high school. And he thought maybe, just maybe she could help him realize that he didn't care about Leah.

They had just been getting into it when Leah stormed in, looking for him. The moment he met her eyes just as the shock settled into anger, betrayal and worst of all-hurt, he knew that no matter how many girl's he tried to use to forget about Leah, he never would. But she didn't stick around and by time he had gotten Katie off and was outside, she was already gone.

"It's not like that, Leah." Daryl almost whispered. "I-"

But whatever he was about to say was interrupted as the radio suddenly tuned in and a nation-wide broadcast was projected in the car.

"I repeat, all towns East of Atlanta have fallen." A voice remarked over an intercom. "All remaining survivors please travel to Atlanta. Rescue camps and safe zones are being implemented at this moment. I repeat, all remaining survivors please travel to Atlanta. Rescue camps and safe zones are being implemented at this moment."

Daryl rolled down his window, sticking his hand out to signal his brother. Merle sped up on his bike, coming to the side of the truck.

"Radio finally tuned in." Daryl shouted over the noise of the two cars. "Said to head over to Atlanta."

"Gonna' take us almost a day to get there." Merle yelled back.

"I don't know how much longer this truck's gonna' go before heatin' up again." Daryl shouted.

Merle looked out at the empty road for a moment before turning back to look at his brother, "Let's say we hold up in the cabin for a night and then set back out on the road. Them geeks don't move fast. Won't get to us by time we leave tomorrow morning'."

Daryl nodded before rolling his window back.

"Leah, I-"

"Don't start again, Daryl." Leah sighed tiredly, going back to leaning her head against the window. "I don't want to hear it."

The rest of the car ride was filled with silence.

* * *

**Author's Note: So not much action between the pair unfortunately but they do have some things to work out before they can really start a new relationship. Anyways, Norman Reedus is a sexxxyy man even when he's all beaten up ;) Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave me a review and let me know whatcha' think! **


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